A hand trowel is a long, rectangular device that concrete installers use to finish concrete also is often used with overlays. You can optionally use a rectangle-shaped trowel, often called a ‘square-edged’ trowel or, you can use a pool trowel (it’s the same thing as a square-edged one, but the corners are round and smooth.)

When it comes to the size of a hand trowel, they are usually about 24’’ long, but you can get very short ones that are only 4’’ long (it all depends on what you need it for).

Hand trowels offer more control and an up-close experience, which allows the installer to create interesting textured surfaces with the trowel, or to simply create unique and different effects.

If you are looking to use one of these, it would be good to practice before actually using one a concrete floor.

Funny Trowel

The funny trowel may be the punchline, but it’s the joke involved that will help you to master this tool. Basically, think of a squeegee (which can also be used as a tool for overlays). Alternately, you can also imagine a hand trowel on a long stick.

The biggest advantage to a funny trowel is that, if you do not like working on your hands and knees with a hand trowel, this trowel allows you to be in a standing position while working your concrete magic. You can also create textures that you normally would either not be able to make at all, or would have greater trouble with, that you cannot with the hand trowel.

The funny trowel takes a long time to master using, as concrete isn’t exactly water…you will have to use some force when you push the funny trowel through. However, do not overdo it! Trowelling a surface repeatedly will cause air bubbles and generally moisture to appear in the concrete, which can be very bad for you (and your customer).

Having been that said, these are the two primary trowels that a concrete overlay installer will use.

Coloured concrete has become one of the biggest requests that clients make as of the last few years, and you are also one of these client so when the time comes to install a coloured concrete floor, you must make a decision.

How do you figure out what colour would be best for your floor?

Well, if this is your home, you could choose your favorite colour. However, some clients do not care for colour, but instead, they prefer to go with colours that are more earthy in nature (terra cotta is a very popular choice in that respect).

One of the major things is that if you have a business, and your new floor is for your business, then consider what your company colours are. If your company’s colours are purple with mixes of verdant green, then you may want a purple floor with gradients of green blended into it.

Another concept you could consider when choosing colour is the overall feel you wish to leak into the room. If a client looks at your floor, the colour will determine what mood your business is giving off. If you’re running a business selling bunny rabbits, you might want a pink floor. Be you male or female, a pink floor screams innocence in waves. So, a pink floor will make the client feel more at ease and willing to look at the bunnies with a better eye.

If your business is selling lemonade energy drinks, you may want the floor to be a mildly vibrant green, because then the colour of green would likely make the client feel refreshed upon entering your room. Therefore, the client is inevitably persuaded into purchasing your lemonade.

If you like the natural look of concrete, sometimes a polish is all you need to establish that earthy grey tone. Covering a natural polish with a sealer will also help bring out the beauty of the stone and aggregate colours.

But back to homes for the closing; you would also do well to choose a colour that reflects the walls on the inside or outside of your home. Check out our gallery and let us know what colour of concrete would look best for your flooring needs.

Unfortunately, cracks in concrete are generally unavoidable; they’ll happen sooner or later, but there are ways you can take a form of control over how, when, and where these cracks would occur.

Placed in concrete to try to help with cracking are expansion joints. Expansion joints, when expansion or contraction of a slab of concrete occurs, the joints prevent the slab from rubbing up against another slab or a wall or something similar, as that “rubbing” usually is what produces cracks (in fact, a seismologist would be the only person who would be ecstatic to see the concrete floors in their home cracking).

The reason why seismologists are mentioned here is that cracks in the ground from earthquakes occur much the same way the cracks in concrete floors occur; when two slabs grate against each other and put an immense amount of strain on the other, causing the cracks.

However, cracks in concrete will never not occur; these expansion joints simply exude control over where the crack will occur, and the joints can be placed within the concrete prior to the concrete setting with a prediction that the cracks will occur in a place that is non-threatening to the surrounding structure.

There are two types of cracks in concrete; aesthetic and structural. Aesthetic cracks are simple cracks that are small and not very deep at all, and they merely mar the beauty of the surrounding home. Structural cracks run very deep, right down to the base of the building itself; these cracks can be a danger to the structure, but they will not stop (no matter what is done), until the concrete has found an equal balance between the ground and the concrete itself. If you are deemed to have structural cracks, there is little that can be done to stop them (you can fill them in and such, but they would only be temporary, as another crack would soon form).

Nowadays, there is not too much that cannot be done to change the entire look and finished product of concrete. There is an overwhelming colour pallet of colours that can be incorporated into the concrete to tint/shade it. You can even have the concrete textured into a desirable stamp design, patterns or overall texture.

You can even opt to have your concrete polished to give it a luxurious gleam (which resembles ceramic tiles) or work with existing cracks from an older floor to upgrade it to a more “antique-looking” and new floor.

Your Creativity is Your Only Limitation

If you are planning on pouring in a new concrete floor within the confines of your home, your only limitation is your creativity and choosing what the finished product should be. The concrete can now be mixed with a particular stain to colour it to suit your taste and poured with a variety of finishes.

The additional costs involved in beautifying your concrete floor is worth it, as the durability of concrete is unsurpassed in comparison to traditional types of floor coverings (which all have a much shorter life duration).

Strategizing and Formulating a Solid Long-Range Plan

Depending on where you are planning to pour your concrete floor, you may want to think about the future and if you will still be the homeowner down the road. Concrete is certainly making a comeback to modern decor because of its newfound versatility, but it is not for everyone.

Homeownership may change for you down the road, so it is important to ensure that the place in your home that you are pouring a concrete floor is going to add value (garage or basement). If you are replacing the floor in the garage or basement with new concrete, be sure that whatever issue that arose with your old floor has been fixed prior to pouring the new floor.

Check Out All of Your Options

When looking into your options as far as straying from the traditional concrete colour and texture, be sure to incorporate all expenses that you will incur before making your final decision (it is not like laying down wood or laminate flooring that can be easily removed).

If you have been researching decorative concrete floors you have no doubt come across many different features and benefits. The list goes on and on with benefits like: non slip, easy clean, grout-less, seamless, waterproof, impact resistant etc..

Now that you know concrete is definitely the floor you want in your home or business it’s time get creative with the options that you’re choosing from

If the concrete floor professional that you hire doesn’t offer a specific look that you were going for don’t be afraid to ask him or her to try something new.

You can actually do just about anything with concrete overlays and coatings because of how versatile they are. You don’t have to be repetitive on your floor with the finish, color, pattern and texture that you choose. Feel free to co-mingle different styles and even different flooring systems to create one unique looking floor.

You can have a portion of your floor that looks like regular concrete with sections and patterns going throughout with other textures like wood or natural stone.

Why not throw a high definition picture into the mix and really have something unique?

If you are looking for something modern with a more classic or rustic decorative twist, why not choose polished concrete with a slight stain and then a contrasting border with a different decorative finish such as epoxy or a concrete overlay?

In some cases, you may have some areas of your floor that are damaged but overall the concrete is beautiful, you can always go crazy with the different textures and styles available and use them to mask problem areas in concrete that can’t be recovered visually.

Take the opportunity that decorative concrete offers you to be creative and do something that will stand out against all of the usual floor options we are all so used to seeing. Contact us today!

There are many different things you can do with concrete flooring; the options are endless! If you have a commercial or residential area that already has a concrete floor and you’re looking for ways to spruce up your space then we can help you out.

Here are some concrete flooring ideas for your home, workshop or store that will be sure to catch your eye, be durable and long lasting.

Commercial Concrete Ideas

If you are looking for concrete in your commercial area then an epoxy coating or polyaspartic coating would be a great idea for your concrete floor. These coatings are durable, easy to maintain, long lasting and can be customized in many different ways. You can choose between different colours, patterns and even custom design elements like patterns, borders and logos.

If you are looking to bring out the colour of the existing concrete and have a more natural looking floor then polished concrete would be a great choice. Polished concrete can be seen in many street facing stores and commercial locations. These floors work well in high traffic areas and are easy to maintain. The natural grey look and aggregate will make your store look finished and trendy.

Paint chip or colour flake floors are also durable and can be made to have many different colour choices and even texture choices. They come in non-slip and scratch resistant options which would be perfect for your basement, garage or workshop space.

A concrete overlay can even be placed right over top of your existing floor and can have different patterns, colours or even be made to look like a tile floor. There is also the added benefit that a concrete overlay doesn’t contain grout lines even when finished with the tile look. Without grout, your floor will be a lot easier to maintain.

By nature, concrete floors are seamless. You do not have to take care of grout lines. For cleaning, always use a PH neutral cleaner. Dry cleaning is the majority of the floor maintenance needed.
Depending on the use of the room and traffic, you may consider a maintenance schedule to keep your floor protected and looking its best. Keeping your residential concrete floors clean is as easy as maintaining a hardwood or laminate floor.

A few maintenance tips for your concrete floor:

Keep the floors dust free with frequent dry flat mopping. Simply using warm water is sufficient for most sealed concrete floors when a deep clean is required to remove a residue or recent stain. For polished concrete floors, there is a specialized formulation to keep the floor brilliant and protected from contamination. It is very inexpensive at less than a penny per 10 sq.ft

If you have a high traffic environment and would like to keep your floor looking its best at all times, contact us for a no obligation quote for a concrete specific maintenance plan.

If you want a durable, maintenance free, beautiful and unique floor with limitless customization options then concrete is right for you.

With advances in technology, it is possible to have concrete in some form everywhere in your home whether a pre-existing home or a new build. Even though concrete is a custom finish; it is comparable in price to massively reproduced, pre-fabricated floors.

Our floors are built to last. Don’t worry about chipping or scratching your floor anymore! Get a natural sleek look and go with polished concrete. We also have solid colour coatings which create a dust free and stain free environment. Our epoxy coatings are great for commercial and retail locations. Our AlmostGranite system is an instant makeover for any type of floor.

Custom Concrete Floors is Ottawa’s go to provider for all things decorative concrete. We want to make your floor beautiful!

Endless Options

You can choose to expose aggregate, have a medium, high gloss or satin finish, a modern or industrial look, a solid colour, a custom design and much more.

Environmentally friendly!

Concrete is locally sourced, employs local tradesman, has a low carbon footprint and creates the least waste of any flooring type available today. We specialize in creating one of a kind solutions for your residential, commercial and industrial concrete flooring projects.

The temperature of your concrete depends on the environment above and below it. In a basement, yes it might feel colder on your feet however not as cold as ceramic tile would.

An important feature to note about concrete is its ability to absorb air temperature and release it slowly over time. Being that it is less dense than a baked ceramic, it is actually warmer under your feet. When including radiant heat in the design of your home, a finished concrete floor is unsurpassed in providing green energy and long lasting heat release for optimal comfort and energy savings.